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Phil Collen, guitarist for Def Leppard since 1982, said he loves playing live shows in the United States during the balmy summer months.

After completing a recent European tour where it "peed rain" and was freezing (giving Mr. Collen a nasty bronchial infection), the iconic British rock outfit began its North American tour with special guest Heart in the South and will work their way up to Scranton on Wedesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain.

Tickets start at $24 and are available at the box office, online at www.livenation.com, or by calling 800-745-3000 or 961-9000.

During a recent phone interview from Charlotte, N.C., Mr. Collen said he was looking forward to bringing his band's "elaborate stage show" to Scranton for a night of hit music and sweaty fun.

"I love the heat," he said. "If you play an outdoor show, it's almost like a sporting activity.

"We really do our own vocals, and we pride ourselves on the fact that we're real," he added. "It's actually quite physical. I look forward to it."

Old and new mix

The last time the band played the mountain was in 2009 as part of a supercharged lineup that also included Poison and Cheap Trick. Mr. Collen said he feels teaming up with Heart for a tour guarantees fans a show chock full of songs they'll know and love.

"When you look at established bands that are still around and still have original members, like the two Wilson sisters - they've never gone away - it's really cool," he said.

"There's a real parallel to Poison and Cheap Trick. It's a lot more similar than you think," Mr. Collen said, comparing them to his own band. "We've all got massive hits, and lots of them, and that's the trick, really. It's become a very different kind of setup in touring."

Playing hits like "Rock of Ages," "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Foolin'" and more hasn't grown tiresome over the decades for the 53-year-old guitarist, since Def Leppard has managed to churn out albums every few years consistently since the 1980s.

The group's latest release, "Mirrorball: Live and More," features songs recorded from their most recent tours, plus three new bonus tracks (including "It's All about Believin,'" which Mr. Collen penned), sure to be part of the new tour.

"That's really important. I think that makes a big difference between a novelty act that just performs for nostalgia," Mr. Collen said.

Add to that a stage show with ever-increasing production value, and you have a winning recipe, he explained.

"We constantly push it, and that makes a big difference why it doesn't get old," Mr. Collen added. "You have artists like Lady Gaga and they raise the bar for everybody, so you got to do a little bit more or it looks tame.

"'What can we do to make it look more spectacular? And remain a new band as well?' We have all these things to think about," he said.

And though the age range in Def Leppard's audiences might be a bit more diverse now than in the past, the fan response is as strong as ever, Mr. Collen said.

After speaking to a local high school's Success Club in his home state of California earlier this year, Mr. Collen said he noticed that the kids seemed awfully familiar.

"They look exactly the same as when I was 24 when I first came to the States," he explained. "It's kind of strange. It puts us in a time capsule like we haven't aged - although we certainly have."

Still enjoys touring

But for this musician, life on the road does not get old.

"The ultimate thing is self-expression. It's actually artistic fulfillment, like a painter ... and there's nothing better than that," Mr. Collen said. "We get to do that on a large scale. At this level, it's pretty amazing.

"When I was a teenager ... it was like a valve when you can't explain or get something out," he continued. "The more experienced I got, I saw how important the actual thing is. It's almost magical, and that's the best thing about it."

For Mr. Callen, touring with his bandmates is just as much fun these days as it ever was.

"We're like a family ... we've been together longer than most families, like 30 years," he laughed. "Me and (lead singer Joe Elliott) can finish each other's sentences off. We're like brothers. We do get on.

"We come back, and we love each other," Mr. Collen said of reuniting for tours. "Until we all feel differently, and that's not any time soon."

Contact the writer: pwilding@timesshamrock.comIf you go

What: Def Leppard with special guest Heart

When: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain

Details: Tickets start at $24 and are available at the box office, online at www.livenation.com, or by calling 961-9000 or 800-745-3000.

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